1. Field of the Invention
The present invention deals with the field of packaging devices which take a continuous roll of plastic or other material which may or may not be pre-printed and form this double layer of film into packages and then load whatever product is to be packaged therein and finally seal the end through which the loading is performed. This can be performed in a variety of orientations of the product and/or of the pouch.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A number of devices are utilized for such packaging and have been subject of United States patents such as U.S. Pat. No. 1,844,806 patented Feb. 9, 1932 to E. L. Smith et al., on an Article Feeding Mechanism; U.S. Pat. No. 2,304,395 patented Dec. 8, 1942 to S. Bodolay on a Rear Folder For Wrapping Machines; U.S. Pat. No. 2,304,396 patented Dec. 8, 1942 to S. Bodolay on a Wrapping Machine Folder; U.S. Pat. No. 2,651,578 patented Sept. 8, 1953 to S. Bodolay et al., on a Package And Method Of Making It; U.S. Pat. No. 2,877,609 patented Mar. 17, 1959 to S. Bodolay et al., on a Machine For Making Bags From A Continuous Web; U.S. Pat. No. 3,462,913 patented Aug. 26, 1969 to J. Bodolay et al., on a Combination Multiple Bag Making And Compartment Bag Making Machine; U.S. Pat. No. 3,471,000 patented Oct. 7, 1969 to S. Bodolay et al., on a Pre-Packaging Mechanism; U.S. Pat. No. 3,540,183 patented Nov. 17, 1970 to W. Bodolay et al., on a Machine For Making Two Compartment Unitary Bag; U.S. Pat. No. 3,638,784 patented Feb. 1, 1972 to W. Bodolay et al., on a Two Compartment Unitary Bag; U.S. Pat. No. 3,721,061 patented Mar. 20, 1973 to W. Bodolay on an Automatic Bag Neck Gatherer And Tying Mechanism; U.S. Pat. No. 3,763,628 patented Oct. 9, 1973 to W. Bodolay on a Bag Loader; U.S. Pat. No. 1,968,211 patented July 31, 1934 to P. Langhammer et al., on a Bottle Hooding Device; U.S. Pat. No. 3,006,122 patented Oct. 31, 1961 to A. Weishaus on a Heat Sealing Apparatus And Method; U.S. Pat. No. 3,047,991 patented Aug. 7, 1962 to M. Siegel et al., on an Impulse Sealing Apparatus; U.S. Pat. No. 3,233,527 patented Feb. 8, 1966 to H. Membrino on a Bag Making Machine; U.S. Pat. No. 3,302,369 patented Feb. 7, 1967 to A. Vinciguerra on Automatic Packaging Machines; U.S. Pat. No. 3,327,451 patented June 27, 1967 to H. M. Forman on a Wrapping Machine; U.S. Pat. No. 3,380,222 patented Apr. 30, 1968 to K. H. Bergmann et al., on a Method And Apparatus For Filling, Sealing, And Packaging Of Bags And Similar Containers; U.S. Pat. No. 3,429,100 patented Feb. 25, 1969 to S. Zelnick et al., on a Method And Apparatus For Sealing Film-Wrapped Packages; U.S. Pat. No. 3,496,700 patented Feb. 24, 1970 to W. E. McCabe et al., on a Packaging Apparatus; U.S. Pat. No. 3,564,809 patented Feb. 23, 1971 to J. G. Keramas on an Automatic Heat Seal Packaging Machine and Method; U.S. Pat. No. 3,581,461 patented June 1, 1971 to W. McDurmont on a Packaging Apparatus; U.S. Pat. No. 3,583,888 patented June 8, 1971 to F. G. Shanklin on a Packaging Apparatus And Method; U.S. Pat. No. 3,727,373 patented Apr. 17, 1973 to N. MacLeod on a Bag Forming Filling And Sealing Apparatus; U.S. Pat. No. 3,996,720 patented Dec. 14, 1976 to L. Hayduchok, on a Yarn Cutting And Packaging Machine; U.S. Pat. No. 4,202,153 patented May 13, 1980 to B. Lernet et al., on a Method And Apparatus For Loading Containers Horizontally; U.S. Pat. No. Re. 30,010 Reissued May 29, 1979 to R. Garrett Shanklin on a Packaging Apparatus And Method; U.S. Pat. No. 4,205,504 patented June 3, 1980 to C. Gregoire et al., on a Method And Device For Making Envelopes From A Continuous Web And Including The Stuffing And Sealing Of Those Envelopes; U.S. Pat. No. 4,241,562 patented Dec. 30, 1980 to A. Meyer on a Method And Apparatus For Automatic Filling Of Bags; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,365,458 patented Dec. 28, 1982 to L. Palmer et al., on a Method And Apparatus For Filling Sleeves With Finished Disc Records And Inserting The Filled Sleeves Into Jackets.
Most prior art devices such as those shown in the above-identified patents orient the formed pouch vertically for loading. That is the uppermost edge of the vertically hanging pouch is still not yet sealed at the time when the product is loaded therein. Then at a further downstream station the upper edge is sealed. A problem occurs with such systems wherein the weight of the product is critical since it may stretch the pouch in an unnatural manner such that when the final seal is made the end product is a non-square sealed pouch. Also the seal may not be complete. These problems are overcome by a device such as the present invention wherein the weight of the product is supported by a table or carriage at the time the final end seal is made thereby eliminating any problems due to the actual weight of the product.